Bowling-alley pin spotter



'latch 2.7 A. R. THOMPSON BOWLING ALLEY PIN SPOTTER Filed Aug. 9. 192s Patented Mar. Y22, v'1927.

- UNITED sTAfrfs PATENT OFFICE..

AKsEirir It. THOMPSON, OP NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIGNOR To THE BRUNSWICK-Panna# COLLENDER COMPANY, OP CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CORPORATION OP :OEMNVARP.;

BOVILIG-ALLY PIN SPOTTER. y.

applicati@ flied August e, 1926. serial No. 128,131.

This invention relates to bowling alley pin spotters of thattype which comprises a plurality of pegs movably arranged in the alley bed to engage the bottoms of the bowling pins. The pegs have been supported upon a movable frame arranged beneath the alley bed and adapted to be operated by a pinlooyy to move the pegs up through Openings in the bed to receive the bowling pins and to lower` the pegs or to permit the pegs Vto lower below the surface of the alley vbed afterfthe bowling pins have been properlyV spotted. v

My invention has for its object to provide simple mean-s forengaging Y the framewhereby it ispossible to effect this engagement after the frame has been installed beneath the alley bedy and wholly through the spot openings-in the bed.

Y Y Anda further object of the invention is to provide a novel and` effective manner and means for engaging the peg with the frame whereby the peg will be raised and lowered by operating the frame. y In the :accompanying drawings illustrating selected. embodiments of thev invention: Fig. l is a sectional view through the pin end of a bowling alley bed andthe spotter associated therewith.

Fig. '2 is yaV bottom plan view of the pin end of the alley bed showing the spotter.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view showing the manner in which a peg is engaged with the frame.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view through a pin spot and showing also the bottom of aV bowling pin.

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view'of the pin spot opening in the alley bed.

bed of suitable construction and 7 is the spotter frame which is conveniently made of angle iron in triangular shape. A lever .8 is pivoted between its ends at 9 to a bracket 10 On the under side of the bed, and the front end of this 'lever is pivoted at 11 to the frame and the rear end of the lever proy jects at the rear end of the alley bed and is provided with a foot piece 12 whereby the lever may be Operated by the pin-boy to raise the frame. The weight of the frame and the parts carried thereby is sufficientl to lower the frame when the pin-boy removes his foot' from the foot piece 12. Straps 13 '55 are fastened to the bed 6 and form guides the pegs with Referring to the drawlngs 6 is the alley for the. corners of the frame in its vertical movements. The alley bed is provided with an. opening 14 extending therethrough for each bowling pin and a pin spot is secured in this opening. One form. of pin spot -is made Vof metal or other suitable materiall and comprises a tubular sleeve 15 hav-ing 1anl annular flange 16. The sleeve fits inthe opening 14 in the alley bed' and .the flang'e'lG seats in the recess 14 in the top of the alley bed. Screws 17 passinoF through the flange Isecure the spot to the alley bed withthe topof the spot flush with the top of the bed (Fig. 4). A peg 18 is arranged in each pin spot and opening and is engaged at its 'lower end with theframe. The pegs are of suiiicient length so that when the frame ils in elevated position they are projected above the surface of the alley bed sufficiently to engage .openings 19 in the bottom of the bowling pins 20, and when the frame, is in lowered position the top of the pins will be below thefsur face Aof the alley bed. V Y

My invention has to do primarily with the construction ofthe peg and the manner and means of engaging thel peg with the frame. I provide the peg with a hook'21 n at its bottom which is arranged to pass throughv an Openingy 22 in the frame. The hook constitutes a reduced lend for the peg and provides a shoulder 23 on the peg which rests upon the frame. Of course the'open ing 22 in the frame will be of less size vthan that of the peg at the shoulder so that the peg will not drop through the frame; and the opening will also be of such a size as will not permit the disengagement of the pegA from the frame while the peg is invertical position. The form of the hook is that of a laterally bent reduced lower end of the peg. v, To permit the peg to be engaged with the frame after the frame hasbeen installed, I provide a recess 24 in the bed at one side of the opening 14 therein, this recess being inclined and of suf'cient size to receive the peg in inclined position as shown in Fig. 3. From rthis it will be readily understood that the peg is engaged with the frame be-` fore the pin spot is arranged in place inthe alley bed. The peg is arranged in the open- Y in 14 and recess 24k so that the hook end 21 and the pin spot sleeve will cover the recess Vzu 24 and the pin spot will form a guide for the peg to hold it in uprightA posit-ion.Y

Whenever it becomes necessary to replace a peg the pin spotY will first be removed and then the peg will be tilted into the recess 24 and withdrawn y of a peg at any time by any person and with very little interruption to the game; Yit requires the use only of a screw driver to remove and replace the screws 17, and it can be accomplished quickly without loosening or removingany other` parts.

I do not limit the invention to use with the particular frame and pin spot and other parts herein shown and described but Ireserve the right .to make all changes in the form, construction and arrangement of the invention and to embody the same in any pin spotter for which it is or may be adapted, within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:

l. A peg fora bowling alleyp'in spotter having a laterally'bent end to permit de-` tachable engagement with the spotter frame.

2. A peg for a bowling alley pin spotter having a laterally bent end to ypermit detachable'engagement with the spotter frame and a shoulder above said end toengage the frame.

3. A peg for a bowling alley pin spotter having a reduced laterallyy bent end toY permit detachable engagement with the spotter framie f b l ll Y 4. eg or a ow ing a ey pin spotter having reduced laterally bent end to permit'detachable engagement with the spotter from engagement with the frame. This enables the replacement fram-e and a shoulder above said end to encage the frame.

5. The combination of a bowling alley pin spotter comprising a frame havingan opening therein, and a peg having `a laterally bent `end adapted to be engagedV with said opening by tilting the peg relative to the frame and then uprighting the peg.

6. The combination of a bowling alley bed having an opening therein, a movable frame beneath the bed and having an opening therein, and a pegl having a laterally bent end adapted to enter the opening in the frame when the peg is arranged in anin clined position in the .opening in the bed and adapted to be engaged with the opening in the frame when they peg is arrangedin upright position vin the opening in the bed.

7. The combination of a bowling alley bed having an opening` therein, a frame movable beneath the bed and having an opening therein, a peg having a laterally bent end adapted to be engaged with the opening in the frame, and a pin spot adapted to be secured in the opening in the bed to maintain the peg in upright position and in engagement with the frame. Y

8. The combinationrof a-bowling alley bed having an opening therein and av recess at one side of said opening, a frame having an opening therein, and a peg having a laterv ally bent end adapted lto enter the opening in the frame when the peg is arranged in inclined position in the opening and the recess in the bed and adaptedy to lbe `engaged with said opening in the frame when said peg is arranged in upright position in the opening in the bed. Y f

AKSEL R. THOMPSON. 

